Cheers, Guys!
by lavenderlush
Summary: [COMPLETE] It's the day before their graduation. Mikan and co. went out for drinks. Unfortunately, Natsume still hasn't told the girl of his dreams what he really felt. Would he ever have the courage to tell her OR would he just watch her slip through his
1. Nostalgia

**Please FEED ME YOUR REVIEWS! _((stomach growls))_ XD **

**Please, please, please don't be a ghost reader! _Onegai!_**

**_To Jenzhou: Err, I resived it somehow. Don't know if you would like it better. Anyway, I only speak conversational Korean. I'll be taking it up in college, though. _**

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**Summary: **It's the day before their graduation and Mikan and the gang went out for drinks. Unfortunately, Natsume still hasn't told the girl of his dreams what he really felt. Would he ever have the courage to tell her OR would he just watch her slip through his fingers?

**NatsumexMikan with a _minuscule_ drop of RukaxHotaru. When I say miniscule, I _mean_ miniscule.**

**A/N:** Okay, back for another GA fic. Don't know why I keep on writing and writing. I just can't seem to stop! **This may be a one-shot fic. Or two-shots OR three-shots. **Don't know, depends on my mood and the story. But I assure you, **I didn't rush this fic! **I'm not trying to impress my readers with quantity (chapters, I mean :D). I want them to have quality Anyway, please read on and enjoy. Oh, and **PLEASE REVIEW!** _Gamsahamnida. (bows)_

_Oh yeah, I might take a break from my GA fics for a week or two. Working on something else.. See next chapter for details._

**Cheers, Guys!**

**Chapter 1: Nostalgia**

It was a cloudy day at the academy. Cloud and windy enough for kite-flying. But of course, nobody flew kites in the academy. There were more exciting things to do there, like have festivals, play RPGs, invent useful gadgets, and many more.

The cherry blossom trees swayed slightly, as if dancing to the wind and the gentle rustling of the leaves can be heard all throughout the academy grounds. Birds sang their songs and bees hovered over the flowers, doing their usual work.

To put it simply, it was a great day for friends to gather one last time before the fateful day.

"Wow, guys! This is amazing! I can't believe we're all graduating tomorrow!" Mikan exclaimed to her friends. Hotaru, Yuu and Ruka nodded while Natsume remained blank as ever.

"Yeah.. I can't believe it's been years since we entered this academy", said Yuu, wistfully.

Mikan turned to her best friend and gave her a hug. As you can see, Hotaru didn't try to punch her again with her trusty _baka _gun.

Through the years, she has learned to accept the affection Mikan had lavishly showered on her. Also, her once emotionless eyes began to show much more, thanks to the person on whom she gave her utmost devotion.

Hotaru turned to give Ruka a slight smile and he smiled back gently at her.

Mikan saw this exchange and she grinned, secretly. _Thought I'd never see the day, Hotaru. _She turned to Natsume and found him staring off into space.

"Hey! Natsume!" She waved her fingers in front of him. Still no response.

She snapped her fingers in front of his face until _he_ snapped back to reality. She giggled and said, "You must be at least a three thousand miles away. Where were you just now?"

Natsume gave her a shot-between-the-eyes look and hurriedly shook his head, as if to clear away his stray thoughts.

"N-Nothing. I just spaced out for a bit."

"Oohhh, really, now?" Mikan smiled at him, almost knowingly.

He looked at her suspiciously before saying, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing really", she smiled at him again before turning back to Hotaru, Yuu and Ruka.

"Hey, guys! Since it's our last day today, why don't we get together later? Let's go to Central Town and have fun one last time, as students!"

Ruka beamed and said, "That's a great idea! Let's go to the newly opened tavern down the main street!"

Yuu looked a little worried but he gave his head a slight shake and said, "Well.. Okay. As long as we don't get wasted, alright? I don't want my last day here to be nothing but a blur."

Hotaru nodded her agreement at Yuu's words.

Mikan turned and questioned Natsume, "Are you coming, Natsume? Are you? Are you?"

She was slowly getting to his nerves so Natsume just grunted in response.

"I guess that's a yes", Mikan grinned. "Okay, then it's settled! Let's meet at the entrance at about.. 5 o'clock. That okay, you guys?"

The rest of them murmured their agreement and went their separate ways, leaving Mikan and Natsume alone.

"Ne, Natsume.."

"What now?" He looked at her, trying to mask his curiosity.

Mikan sighed and looked at the clouds overhead. "I just.. I just can't believe we'll be leaving this academy tomorrow. I can't.. I.. I can't imagine life beyond the academy gates", her voice brimming with an unspoken fear.

While she was speaking, Natsume was watching her with observant eyes. _Mikan.._

Mikan blinked and the tears that pooled at her eyes were gone. She was back to her usual bubbly self.

"Anyway, Natsume, I have to get ready. We'll meet later, alright?" She flashed him another cheery smile and bounded off.

Natsume stared after her, thoughts flooding his head._ I must do it later. I must._

●●●

Natsume was the first one to get to the entrance. He stood there, looking at his watch, waiting patiently.

_I guess it would be unbelievable to say that he was patient. _But like Hotaru, Natsume had undergone changes as well. Small, but noticeable changes. Providing an example, he never did cut classes again nor did he impulsively burn something within his reach whenever he was pissed off. His rage had calmed down, thanks to the company of real and loving friends _(although he would never admit it)._

Finally, Hotaru, Yuu and Ruka arrived. Natsume looked up and he was greeted by smiles from Yuu and Ruka and a slight nod from Hotaru. He nodded in return to all of them, and then glanced at his watch again.

"What's taking that idiot so long?", came Hotaru's flat voice.

Ruka shrugged and grinned. "Maybe she's agonizing over what to wear."

Yuu chuckled at that and added, "Or maybe she couldn't find anything decent to wear because she forgot to pick up her laundry."

Natsume ignored them and continued to glance at his watch every now and then.

The three were exchanging looks as they watched Natsume. Ruka was tempted to tease Natsume when a voice pierced the air.

"HEY! GUYS!", came Mikan's excited yell.

Hotaru let out a _whoosh_ of air and remarked under her breath, "Finally."

Mikan ran up to them, panting, then treated them all to her signature cheery smile. She was clad in navy tights, a soft blue cotton skirt and a white wool turtleneck. An orange and green scarf was wrapped loosely around her neck and Natsume couldn't help but smile secretly at how vibrant she looked.

"I'm so excited, guys! Let's all have fun tonight, shall we?" Mikan grinned at all of them gigantically.

Hotaru spoke up, "We're not even there yet and here you are, getting all jumpy" with an unreadable expression on her face. "Let me ask you, though. How old _are you _now, anyway?"

Mikan smiled sheepishly at that then turned to the three boys. "Are you guys ready?"

Yuu and Ruka smiled while Natsume merely grunted in response.

"Alright, let's go!", she shouted excitedly and marched towards the bus stop with the four following her.

**A/N: **Okaaay. You know the drill. Press the 'go' button below and type type type! I decided that it would have three chapters. It wouldn't be a one-shot after all. I couldn't just squeeze all of it here.

A few of my friends asked if I would be including their graduation here. The answer is _no_. It would be too _heartbreaking_ for me to see them go! _(sobs)_

And yeah, Hotaru abandoned her baka gun. As I have said above, she went through changes over the years. This is one of them Also, it wouldn't be right for a girl nearing her twenties to keep on doing that, right? Un-ladylike and unsuitable. XD

_I won't and am not planning to write their graduation fic, alright? c:_

If you noticed, instead of typing 'sakura trees', I just put there 'cherry blossom trees' or cherry blossoms. I did that because, well, uhm, I just felt like it! Hahaha! Just saying.. XD


	2. Bottoms Up, Then!

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**Summary: **It's the day before their graduation and Mikan and the gang went out for drinks. Unfortunately, Natsume still hasn't told the girl of his dreams what he really felt. Would he ever have the courage to tell her OR would he just watch her slip through his fingers?

**NatsumexMikan with a _minuscule_ drop of RukaxHotaru. When I say miniscule, I _mean_ miniscule.**

**A/N:** Second to the last chapter. By the way, **I'll be on hiatus in creating Gakuen Alice fanfictions. **I'll upload this chapter and the last, then the last chapter of **'Baffled'**and I'll post the songfic I wrote more than a week ago. If you're wondering at what I'll be doing, I'll be concentrating on writing my new fanfiction. _(Better promote it right now!)_

It's based on an anime **_Otogi Zoshi: The Legend of Magatama_**, or just plain **_Otogizoushi_**. If you're not familiar with it, please check it out at be doing lots of research and I'm watching all of my dvds again.

Enough with my babbling! **On with the last chapter! FORWARD! **XD

**Chapter 2: Bottoms Up, Then!**

They all remained silent as the bus went en route to Central Town. Each was absorbed in his/her thoughts and didn't want to be bothered by anyone.

Mikan who was looking out the window, sat beside Natsume, who was staring at his hands, as if they contained all of the answers the universe were looking for.

Hotaru was talking to Ruka in a very quiet voice and Ruka had on a serious expression on his face. Yuu was sitting with another classmate of theirs, chatting animatedly.

Let's do like Koko-chan and sneak in their thoughts!

Mikan: _(sighs) I know I shouldn't be like this but I can't help it. This would all be our last night together and after that.. I don't know what to do.. _She sighed again, her breath leaving moisture on the glass. On the moisture left on the glass, she traced the word 'grandpa' with her fingertips.

_Oh grandpa, please help me.._

Natsume: _How would I tell her?_ He clenched and unclenched his fists. _I have to say it tonight. I'm afraid I can't tomorrow because it would only confuse her, as she would be overwhelmed by all the excitement and sorrow at our graduation. _

He was tempted to burn something but stopped himself just in time. _I promised I wouldn't, anymore. And I'm not about to break that promise, _he thought, determined.

Hotaru: _I think it will be tonight. If you back out again Natsume, I swear I'll shoot you, _she thought with a calm expression on her face.

She watched Natsume secretly and rolled her amethyst eyes heavenward.

Ruka: _Natsume, will you do it tonight? You better, _he thought grimly.

He watched his best friend at the corner of his eyes and resisted the urge to shake his shoulders violently, to wake him up. _How can you wait so long? If it were me, I'd die of agony._

Yuu: _I wonder what interesting thing is in store for us tonight, _a look of interest arranged in his features.

After minutes of almost agony, the driver spoke up, "Okay, we're here. A bus will arrive at 9:30 sharp. Be late and you'll be walking to the academy alone", he said with humor in his eyes.

They all nodded and jumped off the bus. The bus roared to life again and zoomed away. They stood there and were silent for a moment.

Finally, Ruka spoke up, "The tavern's right there!", pointing to a secluded spot by a peach blossom tree. It looked like an old-fashioned house, giving Mikan a feeling of reassurance. The chimney above, emitted white smoke, added to its homey feel.

They pushed past the door, the bell twinkling, announcing their arrival. A kind old man smiled at them, giving them a welcoming look. Mikan gave him a bright smile in return and went to follow her friends who were hunting for a table.

They found one by a huge window that overlooked a beautiful and well-tended garden, planted with cherry blossom trees, peach blossoms, traditional Japanese plum blossoms, oak trees and some other plants Mikan couldn't quite identify. Natsume stood up and said, "I'll get us a bottle of red wine. Just one. I wouldn't want to get drunk either." Yuu nodded his approval at that.

While he was gone for about five minutes, Mikan spoke up with an almost solemn voice, which surprised Ruka and Hotaru. "I guess we can all talk now seriously, can we?"

Yuu's eyebrows had shot up but he volunteered nothing more. The atmosphere was getting somber and someone felt the need to do something.

The unbearable silence was interrupted with Natsume coming back, with a waiter on tow. The waiter set down the tray and placed the bottle and five crystal goblets on the table. Then he was gone.

Natsume has taken his seat and was waiting for someone to break the ice.

Then came Mikan's quiet voice, "_Ne, minna_. What are you all planning to do when you leave the academy?"

Yuu chan answered first. "I'll probably be a manager at my dad's company before taking over. I don't know what else, though. My future has been decided, after all."

Hotaru gave Mikan a probing look before replying, "I'd probably continue with my inventions. I'll make heaps of money that way."

"I mentioned before that I want to be a vet, right? And that hasn't changed", Ruka said, grinning at Mikan.

Mikan cheered up at the thought that _some_ things managed to stay the same. She smiled sort of sadly back at him.

She then turned her attention to Natsume. "What about you, Natsume?"

Natsume, who was fiddling with his goblet, took a while before answering. "I don't know", he said finally.

Mikan settled back on her seat and rested her chin on her hand. She stared out of the window, as if lost in her own little world. "I still don't know what I'm going to do.. I probably come back to grandpa's house then after that..", her voice trailed off.

Natsume was looking at Mikan, his eyes showing concern but his face remained like a mask, hiding his true feelings. He didn't know that Yuu, Ruka and Hotaru's eyes were on _him_, as if waiting for his next move.

Mikan turned back to them so abruptly that Yuu spilled some of the wine from his goblet.

"Enough with all this talk. It's making me depressed. We're here to have fun, right?", Mikan grinned at all of them.

"You're right, Mikan", Yuu looked at her warmly behind his glasses.

And they would spend the night talking about everything. Everything under the sun.

They would all talk about their teachers jokingly; laugh at Mikan's not-so-bright moments and all the other stuff which left a mark in their lives in the academy.

They talked about their childhood but stopped when they realized that Natsume wasn't saying anything at all. They were silenced by his slightly pensive expression.

"I'm going out to the garden", he muttered before standing up and pushing back his chair.

_Natsume..,_ Mikan thought.

They thought it was best to leave him alone but Mikan wasn't listening anymore.

"Hey, guys", Mikan said, looking distracted. "I'm going out for some fresh air, alright?"

The three exchanged glances knowingly and nodded. With that, Mikan stood up, leaving her goblet, which was just one sip short, on the table.

They stared after her as she quietly slipped out the door.

**A/N:** If you were wondering, I did slash off the -kun from Natsume's name, -pyon from Ruka's and -chan from Yuu's. They are all matured already. Well, except maybe for Mikan but she at least has the sense to removed the embarrassing (for the boys, I mean!) endearments.

Was Natsume too OOC for you? I intended that. Read on..

Oh yeah, another note: I included peach blossom trees 'cause I read about it in a book before writing this chapter. And what a coincidence! I read it also from a story from FictionPress. Plum blossom trees are also included because I recently watched the first dvd of Otogi Zoshi. Apparently, they were well-loved during the Heian period.

That is all. Thank you very much! Reviews are appreciated! Was it too boring? _(sighs)_ Tell me!


	3. It Was YOU

**_((sigh))_ Please review, ghost readers! _((gets down on knees and begs))_**

**I wouldn't know if you guys liked it or not.. Alright? Reviews!**

**Just press the _'go'_ button below! XD **

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice doesn't belong to me. It is owned by the great mangaka Higuchi Tachibana.

**Summary: **It's the day before their graduation and Mikan and the gang went out for drinks. Unfortunately, Natsume still hasn't told the girl of his dreams what he really felt. Would he ever have the courage to tell her OR would he just watch her slip through his fingers?

**NatsumexMikan with a _minuscule_ drop of RukaxHotaru. When I say miniscule, I _mean_ miniscule.**

**A/N:** Again, **I'll be on hiatus in creating Gakuen Alice fanfictions. **As I have said previously, I'll upload this chapter, then the last chapter of **'Baffled'**then the other songfic I made. Hope you enjoy this last chapter and maybe I'll take a break from GA fics for a week or two. Depends on how long it'll take to complete my **_Otogizoushi _**fic.

Another note: Natsume doesn't call Mikan 'polka dots' anymore. He actually calls her by her name, once in a blue moon! Again, they're all nearing their twenties for God's sake!

No more lines telling me "They're all too OOC" or "They're not like that" 'cause that's the way I want them to be! _Again,_ they're almost twenty here! People have room for change, do they not?

Read on and **review later**!

**Chapter 3: It Was YOU**

Natsume walked to the garden with his hands in his pockets. He knew it was very unlike him to stay quiet for a long time but these past few days, he just wasn't himself.

He admired the beauty of the plum and cherry blossom trees, which seemed to give off this ethereal light and glanced up at the sky, dotted with stars. It was all breathtakingly beautiful.

He laughed at himself mentally for being a sap. _I never did admire nature before. Why start now?_

_Because,_ a voice whispered in his ear, _this will be the last time you'll ever see this kind of peacefulness. Who knows what will happen to you outside the academy?_

Natsume knew this was true so he sat under an oak tree and leaned against its sturdy trunk. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander off.

He thought he had dozed off when a feminine voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Natsume?"

Without opening his eyes to see who was it, he mumbled, "What is it?"

"I came here to check on you. Are you alright?", she asked, her voice sounding concerned. She sat down beside him and hugged her knees to her chest.

"Yeah.."

They were both silent for a few minutes when Mikan remarked, "You're fond of trees, aren't you? I always seem to find you under a tree. A cherry blossom tree, an oak tree, a birch tree, whatever." She chuckled at that.

"I guess I am.."

By this time, Natsume was wide awake now. He watched Mikan at the corner of his eye and clenched his right fist, contemplating if this would be the appropriate time to tell her.

"Hey.. uhm.. Mikan?"

"Yes, Natsume?", came her voice, still perky as ever.

_Oh man, _Natsume sweatdrops. _I better swallow my pride and be done with it._

"Uh.. Remember the time when I said I'd tell you something when we're about to graduate?"

Mikan furrowed her brows, thinking hard. Then her expression cleared and she exclaimed, "Oh that! That was when we were 14 and you peeked at my underwear again, you pervert!"

He raised his eyebrow at her. She suddenly stopped yelling then asked, "What about it?"

"You see.. I..", Natsume was beginning to sweat like a lake, despite the cold weather.

"Uh-huh?" Mikan was looking at her with an expectant expression on her face.

_Stall for time, Natsume. Stall,_ he said to himself.

"One more thing.. Do you recall the charm bracelet someone left you for your 16th birthday? The one with the 'M' studded with diamonds?"

"Yeah, of course I do. Am wearing it right now", she said, dangling her wrist in front of him.

He suddenly blushed at the thought the she was wearing it, _right now_. Luckily for him, it was dark so she didn't notice.

"What about it, Natsume?", she questioned, looking more curious by the second.

"Y-You see.. I-It's from..", Natsume stuttered. _Nice move, Hyuuga. Stutter like there's no tomorrow,_ he thought to himself wryly.

"It's from whom?", she asked interestedly.

"…", came Natsume's intelligent reply.

Mikan stared at him, weirded out. "Spit it out, Natsume."

He continued to open and close his mouth, as if trying to find the words he wanted to say.

All of a sudden, Mikan stood still, realization dawning in her eyes. Natsume tried hard to avoid her gaze, which he was sure would be _focusing__ on him_.

"It was from you, Natsume", Mikan breathed. "It was from you.. And the thing you were about to tell me was..", Mikan's voice trailed off.

Natsume's gaze focused on the rock by his shoe and he kept it there. "Yeah.. You're right.. I.." But he wasn't able to finish his sentence because he suddenly froze.

He felt her hand, clutching his wrist tightly. Her bangs were covering her eyes so he couldn't guess what she was thinking.

Time seemed to stand still at that very moment.

"Why would you tell all of these to me just now, Natsume?", her voice sounding obviously controlled.

Natsume was taken back and before he could reply, she buried her face into his chest.

"Why just now, Natsume? Why just now?", her voice sounding strangely nasal. He then realized she was crying and soaking his sweater in the process. She pounded her fists on his chest helplessly and continued crying for the next few minutes. He didn't move as he was unsure on what to do.

_Should I hug her? Should I comfort her? Should I stroke her hair? What,_ Natsume thought wildly.

Mikan then pulled back and gave him a watery smile. She punched him lightly on the arm and almost yelled, "I love you too, Natsume!"

Natsume's eyes widened slightly, looking incredulous. _She.. what? Did she just say.._

Natsume's throat tightened and he wasn't able to say anything more. In response to her confession, he pulled her closer to him, breathing in the lemony scent of her hair.

Finally, having found the strength to speak, he said quietly struggling to control his voice, "I'm sorry if I made you miserable during years that we've known each other. I did it only to mask my interest in you. This was a new feeling for me and it scared me tremendously."

He took a steadying breath then continued in the same quiet voice, "I tried angrily to ignore these feelings and I.. I voiced it all out on you. I-I'm sorry."

Mikan's only reaction was to tighten her arms around him. "That's alright. It wasn't just you, you know. Even though I hurl insults at you at almost a daily basis, they had another meaning. I did that, since I have no other way of showing you how I truly felt.."

"I waited for you, Natsume", Mikan whispered.

"And I'm sorry for making you wait..", he murmured.

They pulled back and stared into each other's eyes, searchingly, as if convincing themselves that this was real and that it wouldn't turn out to just a cruel dream.

Mikan then moved closer and enveloped Natsume in another embrace. She closed her eyes, as if weary of all the waiting and pressed her hand over his beating heart.

He embraced her tighter and murmured in her ears, "I love you, polka dots."

She laughed softly at this and whispered back, "I love you too, pervert."

And things went well for the two of them for the rest of the night.

_What a lovely way of confessing: calling each other names. Where else would you find something like that?_

●●●

_Three people were hiding behind a huge plum blossom tree, obviously spying on someone. Or someone**ss**._

_'It's wrong to snoop, Hotaru!', Ruka whispered urgently._

_'We're not 14 anymore, you know", Yuu put in._

_Hotaru resisted the urge to whack them both in the heads then turned back her attention to the two, hugging._

_'I'll just take a quick picture then we're out of here', she said tonelessly._

_Snap! Snap! Snap!_

_'There', she said, obviously pleased._

_Yuu and Ruka exchanged a glance and sweatdrops._

_'You're not planning to sell those, are you, Hotaru?' Ruka asked looking nervous, as if dreading her answer._

_Yuu looked uneasy as well._

_Hotaru stared at them before answering, 'Of course, not', she said, in a matter-of-fact voice._

_'Pardon me?', Yuu asked, gobsmacked._

_'Come again?' Ruka looked at her, a bit dazed._

_Hotaru rolled her eyes and said in her famous dull voice, 'It's for the two of them. I'm sure they'd want a picture of this moment.'_

_Yuu and Ruka looked at each other again, then grinned._

_'That's truly nice of you, Hotaru', Yuu said, heartily._

_'Why Hotaru', Ruka teased. 'I didn't know you were capable of such things'._

_She gave him a hostile glare before truly whacking him on the head with her baka gun, version 2._

_While Ruka looked lovely slumped on the floor, Yuu and Hotaru watched the couple slowly pull away from each other. He took her hand and they walked away, probably going somewhere to have more privacy._

_Somewhere romantic and memorable._

**OWARI**

**A/N:** Okay, anyone still remembers the drill? _(grins)_ **Please review!** Oh, and read again the note above with the symbol.

**_Gamsahamnida! _(bows)**

- diana, signing off for a week or two


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